Is your dog or cat registered for life?

More than 3,000 dogs and cats in the Shoalhaven city including the Ulladulla region have been micro-chipped but are not currently registered on the NSW Companion Animals Register.

Council will soon be notifying those pet owners who have not registered their dog or cat, where the animal is over six months of age. This is a requirement of the NSW Companion Animals Act.

Shoalhaven City Mayor Councillor Paul Green said if pet owners know their animal is not registered, then they should register the pet to avoid being issued with a penalty notice.

“All puppies, dogs, cats and kittens – including those sold or given away – must be identified with a microchip by 12 weeks of age, or when the animal is sold, whichever occurs first,” Clr Green said.

A penalty notice may also be issued for failing to notify Council if you or your animal’s details have changed. This includes updating phone numbers, or if the animal changes address or ownership, goes missing or dies.

Pet owners should then register their companion animal with Shoalhaven City Council. Lifetime registration within NSW is a one-off payment and all companion animals (dogs and cats) must be lifetime registered by six months of age at one of Council’s administration offices at Nowra or Ulladulla.

The rules for cats born before 1 July 1999 are slightly different: If the cat is still living with their original owner, they are not required to be lifetime registered. However they must be identified by either a microchip or a collar and tag. Should the cat be sold or given away it must then be micro-chipped and lifetime registered.

Penalties apply if a companion animal is not lifetime registered with Council under the NSW Companion Animals Act.

Fee schedule for NSW lifetime registration:

Undesexed dog / cat $150

Desexed dog / cat $40

Desexed dog / cat owned by a pensioner $15

Dog / cat owned by a recognised breeder $40

Dog / cat owned as an Assistance Animal FREE

If a pet or pet owner’s circumstances change, that information must be advised to Council within:

14 days of any change to the registration details, that is, if a pet owner moves or changes phone numbers or a dog or cat is adopted by someone else,

28 days of the dog or cat dying

four days of the dog or cat going missing

Seven days of the dog being declared dangerous or revoking a dangerous dog declaration.